Apocalyptic scriptures share one feature: They were always composed in distressing times for the benefit of desperate people who occupied a particular moment in history. They suffered politically and economically, and only a dramatic rescue by God could help.

Evangelicals have shaped some of the country's most controversial domestic policy debates, from abortion to gay rights. A growing coalition within the larger evangelical movement has also begun to quietly shape a much different debate involving the future of Israel.

It's an axiom that presidents lead us into wars, while Christians provide the flags and the crosses. So it may seem the deck is stacked against American evangelicals organizing into a comprehensive peace movement.

Every single one of the sops Newt Gingrich is throwing the far right has been scripted for him by generations of so-called Reconstructionist "thinkers" and Roman Catholic ideologues pushing America steadily in the direction of Americanized theocracy.

However, as a political force Christian Zionism's power is facilitated by Israel and by American Jewry itself; on its own, it cannot survive. It needs Jewish Zionism, because without it, Christian Zionism can't make a sufficiently strong political case.

Our debates over Israel have become coarse and divisive. One reason is that in our zeal to express tough love, we have forgotten about pure love. But how better to fight unconditional hatred than with unconditional love?

War mongering in the name of "protecting Israel" has everything to do with Evangelicals' ideas about what will hasten the "return of Christ" and nothing to do with what is actually good for the Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs.

During an unofficial panel of bloggers and activists at J Street's conference, I criticized Wiesel and Oren for associating with Hagee. Why is Wiesel palling around with Hagee? Why did I "mock" Wiesel?

Hagee-style American Christians push to prepare the ground for the second coming of Jesus Christ, a plan that focuses on advancing Israeli interests and that exerts increasing influence on U.S. foreign policy.